Musical instrument



(No Model.)

C. W. HUTGHINS.

MUSICAL INSTRUMENT.

ANDRLW LGRAHAM. FNOTO-UTMQWAS MINGTDN. D C.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE,

CHARLES IV. IIUTOIIINS, OF SPRINGFIELD, MASSACHUSETTS.

MUSICAL INSTRUMENT.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 549,966, dated November 19, 1895.

Serial No. 548,975 (No model.)

To (all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, CHARLES IV. IIUTCH- INS, a citizen of the United States, residing at S n-ingficld, llanipden county, State of Massachusetts, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Musical Instruments, of which the following is a specification.

My improvements relate to metallic instruments of the class in which cords are stretched over necks supporting fin ger-boards and comprising mandolins, guitars, banjos, and the violin family, and have for their object in the first part an increase in resonance of the instrument and in the second part provision for the adjustment of the fingerboard relative to the strings; and the invention consists in the combination and construction, as hereinafter described, and more particularly pointed out in the claims.

My invention is fully illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which Figure I is a top plan view of a portion of a mandolin with the top removed. Fig. II is a vertical central longitudinal section of aportion of a mandolin. Fig. III is a transverse section on the dotted line :1: cc of Fig. II and looking toward the head of the instrument. Fig. IV is an enlarged longitudinal central section through part of a mandolin, and Fig. V is a top plan view of the same.

Referring to the drawings of so much. of an instrument as is necessary to illustrate my invention, B is the hollow sound-chamber of a mandolin extended and prolonged to a point, as shown in Figs. I, II, and IV, beyond the nut C. Saidchamber is formed by the thin metal wall D, forming the bowl of the instrument, prolonged and given the configuration of the portion of the neck, curved in cross-section, over which the hand slides in stopping the strings, and the thin metal top of the instrument II prolonged to supply a cover to the curved sides of the neck, the resulting auxiliary chamber to the bowl being, as shown in Figs. I, II, and IV, longitudinally and in crosssection, as seen in Fig. III.

The top II, being tightly joined to the edges of the metal D, supplies a surface over the hollow neck for seating the finger-board I, and is from the nut 0, together with wall D, produced to cover a block of wood. E, seating the plates of a machine head. (Not shown.)

It will be seen that a sound-chamber extends under the strings (Z their entire length from the nut C to the tailpiece h.

Although a sound-chamber extended from the body of the instrument into the neck to any point inside of the nut G will greatly increase the volume of tone, and in proportion as its length brings its end nearer the nut by carrying the sound-chamber to a point beyond the nut, where its end is shown to be formed by the solid block E, I am able to seat the nut C over the soundcha1nber and stretch the strings over and between what is in effect two bridges seated upon a sound-board, and thus obtain an increased volume of sound from the strings, the nut O in this case being equivalent to a second bridge and the top II to a soundboard.

I11 practice I have thus made a mandolin of thin sheet aluminum, the body and neck being formed of only the two parts D and II, the top seating the nut, finger-board, and bridge, and the two parts inelosing the block E supplying the head and having a tone much larger in volume than those in general use having a solid neck. This principle of construction is applicable to all metallic instruments dependent upon cords vibrating over a neck and stretched between a nut and bridge.

In order to provide for the adjustment of the fin ger-board relative to the strings not only to or away from the strings and parallel to them, but with either end inclined to or away from them as well, I detach the end of the fingerboard I from the nut O, leaving a short space between them, as shown, to permit the tipping of that end of the finger-board and combine two screws 0 c with the fingerboard and top H.

The threaded ends of the screws pass through the top H, tapped to receive them, and in order to provide a better hold for the screws when the neck is hollow than would be afforded by the thin top II alone the stock of the top is increased at the points where the screws pass through it by lugs v; 1' upon its inner surface, as shown, and the screws are provided with semispherical heads received into corresponding countersinks in the fingerboard.

The openings in the fingerboard through which the shanks of the screws pass are elongated in the direction of the length of the finger-board, as seen in Fig. V, so as to admit of a tilting of the finger-board relative to the screws.

W' hen it is desired to raise the finger-board parallel with the strings, the screws are loosened and the finger-board is wedged up to the required position before the screws are tightened to secure it. When either end of the finger-board is to be raised or lowered, the screws permit said adjustment. By these means the finger-board can be adjusted to compensate for the wear of the frets or to meet the requirements of performers of varying finger power or be entirely removed, if necessary.

Now, having described my invention, what I claim is 1. In metallic stringed instruments, the sound chamber inclosed by a metallic bowl or body, a neck having its cavity opening into the main sound chamber and having its curved wall formed of the prolonged wall of the bowl or body-and a metal sheet joined to the edges of the bowl or body and to the edges of the neck to form a cover to both; substantially as shown and described.

2. In metallic stringed instrumentsa hollow neck provided with a cavity opening into and continuous with the bowl or body, and provided with a bottom and side wall formed of the prolonged bowl or body wall-and a metal sheet joined to the edges of said neck to provide a top thereto and adapted to form a top also to the bowl or body, as and for the purpose set forth.

3. The hollow neck provided with a bottom and side wall formed of the prolonged wall of the bowl or body, and provided with a cavity opening at one end of the neck into the main sound body of the instrument, and at the other end of the neck arranged to extend beneath the nut-and a metal sheet joined to the edges of the neck to form a top thereto and a seat to the nut, and adapted to form also a top to the bowl or body.

at. The linger-board provided with two adj usting screws, having their ends screwed into the neck beneath the linger-board, and having semi-spherical heads seated in corresponding countersinks in the finger-board with an enlarged opening for the passage of the screw-shanks-for the purpose described.

CHARLES \V. IIUTCIIINS. lVitnesses:

R. F. IIYDE, PENN TYLER. 

